egypt-第24部分

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remained　imposing　and　unique。　They　repaired　its　ruins；　and　built　here

temple　after　temple；　in　a　style　which　hardly　ever　changes。　Even　in　the

ages　of　decadence　everything　that　raised　itself　from　the　old；　sacred

soil；　seemed　to　be　impregnated　a　little　with　the　ancient　grandeur。



And　it　was　only　when　the　early　Christians　ruled　here；　and　after　them

the　Moslem　iconoclasts；　that　the　destruction　became　final。　To　these

new　believers；　who；　in　their　simplicity；　imagined　themselves　to　be

possessed　of　the　ultimate　religious　formula　and　to　know　by　His　right

name　the　great　Unknowable；　Thebes　became　the　haunt　of　〃false　gods；〃

the　abomination　of　abominations；　which　it　behoved　them　to　destroy。



And　so　they　set　to　work；　penetrating　with　an　ever…present　fear　into

the　profound　depths　of　the　gloomy　sanctuaries；　mutilating　first　of　all

the　thousands　of　visages　whose　disconcerting　smile　frightened　them；

and　then　exhausting　themselves　in　the　effort　to　uproot　the　colossi；

which　even　with　the　help　of　levers；　they　could　not　move。　It　was　no

easy　task　indeed；　for　everything　was　as　solid　as　geological　masses；　as

rocks　or　promontories。　But　for　five　or　six　hundred　years　the　town　was

given　over　to　the　caprice　of　desecrators。



And　then　came　the　centuries　of　silence　and　oblivion　under　the　shroud

of　the　desert　sands；　which；　thickening　each　year；　proceeded　to　bury；

and；　in　the　event；　to　preserve　for　us；　this　peerless　relic。



And　now；　at　last；　Thebes　is　being　exhumed　and　restored　to　a　semblance

of　lifenow；　after　a　cycle　of　seven　or　eight　thousand　years；　when　our

Western　humanity；　having　left　the　primitive　gods　that　we　see　here；　to

embrace　the　Christian　conception；　which；　even　yesterday；　made　it　live；

is　in　way　of　denying　everything；　and　struggles　before　the　enigma　of

death　in　an　obscurity　more　dismal　and　more　fearful　than　in　the

commencement　of　the　ages。　（More　dismal　and　more　fearful　still　in　this；

that　plea　of　youth　is　gone。）　From　all　parts　of　Europe　curious　and

unquiet　spirits；　as　well　as　mere　idlers；　turn　their　steps　towards

Thebes；　the　ancient　mother。　Men　clear　the　rubbish　from　its　remains；

devise　ways　of　retarding　the　enormous　fallings　of　its　ruins；　and　dig

in　its　old　soil；　stored　with　hidden　treasure。



And　this　evening　on　one　of　the　portals　to　which　I　have　just　mounted

that　which　opens　at　the　north…west　and　terminates　the　colossal　artery

of　temples　and　palaces；　many　very　diverse　groups　have　already　taken

their　places；　after　the　pilgrimage　of　the　day　amongst　the　ruins。　And

others　are　hastening　towards　the　staircase　by　which　we　have　just

climbed；　so　as　not　to　miss　the　grand　spectacle　of　the　sun　setting；

always　with　the　same　serenity；　the　same　unchanging　magnificence；

behind　the　town　which　once　was　consecrated　to　it。



French；　German；　English；　I　see　them　below；　a　lot　of　pygmy　figures；

issuing　from　the　hypostyle　hall；　and　making　their　way　towards　us。　Mean

and　pitiful　they　look　in　their　twentieth…century　travellers'　costumes；

hurrying　along　that　avenue　where　once　defiled　so　many　processions　of

gods　and　goddesses。　And　yet　this；　perhaps；　is　the　only　occasion　on

which　one　of　these　bands　of　tourists　does　not　seem　to　me　altogether

ridiculous。　Amongst　these　groups　of　unknown　people；　there　is　none　who

is　not　collected　and　thoughtful；　or　who　does　not　at　least　pretend　to

be　so；　and　there　is　some　saving　quality　of　grace；　even　some　grandeur

of　humility；　in　the　sentiment　which　has　brought　them　to　this　town　of

Amen；　and　in　the　homage　of　their　silence。



We　are　so　high　on　this　portal　that　we　might　fancy　ourselves　upon　a

tower；　and　the　defaced　stones　of　which　it　is　built　are　immeasurably

large。　Instinctively　each　one　sits　with　his　face　to　the　glowing　sun；

and　consequently　to　the　outspread　distances　of　the　fields　and　the

desert。



Before　us；　under　our　feet；　an　avenue　stretches　away；　prolonging

towards　the　fields　the　pomp　of　the　dead　cityan　avenue　bordered　by

monstrous　rams；　larger　than　buffaloes；　all　crouched　on　their　pedestals

in　two　parallel　rows　in　the　traditional　hieratic　pose。　The　avenue

terminates　beyond　at　a　kind　of　wharf　or　landing…stage　which　formerly

gave　on　to　the　Nile。　It　was　there　that　the　God　Amen；　carried　and

followed　by　long　trains　of　priests；　came　every　year　to　take　his　golden

barge　for　a　solemn　procession。　But　it　leads　to…day　only　to　the

cornfields；　for；　in　the　course　of　successive　centuries；　the　river　has

receded　little　by　little　and　now　winds　its　course　a　thousand　yards

away　in　the　direction　of　Libya。



We　can　see；　beyond；　the　old　sacred　Nile　between　the　clusters　of　palm…

trees　on　its　banks；　meandering　there　like　a　rosy　pathway；　which

remains；　nevertheless；　in　this　hour　of　universal　incandescence；

astonishingly　pale；　and　gleams　occasionally　with　a　bluish　light。　And

on　the　farther　bank；　from　one　end　to　the　other　of　the　western　horizon；

stretches　the　chain　of　the　Libyan　mountains　behind　which　the　sun　is

about　to　plunge；　a　chain　of　red　sandstone；　parched　since　the　beginning

of　the　worldwithout　a　rival　in　the　preservation　to　perpetuity　of

dead　bodieswhich　the　Thebans　perforated　to　its　extreme　depths　to

fill　it　with　sarcophagi。



We　watch　the　sun　descend。　But　we　turn　also　to　see；　behind　us；　the

ruins　in　this　the　traditional　moment　of　their　apotheosis。　Thebes；　the

immense　town…mummy；　seems　all　at　once　to　be　ablazeas　if　its　old

stones　were　able　still　to　burn；　all　its　blocks；　fallen　or　upright；

appear　to　have　been　suddenly　made　ruddy　by　the　glow　of　fire。



On　this　side；　too；　the　view　embraces　great　peaceful　distances。　Past

the　last　pylons；　and　beyond　the　crumbling　ramparts　the　country；　down

there　behind　the　town；　presents　the　same　appearance　as　that　we　were

facing　a　moment　before。　The　same　cornfields；　the　same　woods　of　date…

trees；　that　make　a　girdle　of　green　palms　around　the　ruins。　And；　right

in　the　background；　a　chain　of　mountains　is　lit　up　and　glows　with　a

vivid　coral　colour。　It　is　the　chain　of　the　Arabian　desert；　lying

parallel　to　that　of　Libya；　along　the　whole　length　of　the　Nile　Valley

which　is　thus　guarded　on　right　and　left　by　stones　and　sand　stretched

out　in　profound　solitudes。



In　all　the　surrounding　country　which　we　command　from　this　spot　there

is　no　indication　of　the　present　day；　only　here　and　there；　amongst　the

palm…trees；　the　villages　of　the　field　labourers；　whose　houses　of　dried

earth　can　scarcely　have　changed　since　the　days　of　the　Pharaohs。　Our

contemporary　desecrators　have　up　till　now　respected　the　infinite

desuetude　of　the　place；　and；　for　the　tourists　who　begin　to　haunt　it；

no　one　yet　has　dared　to　build　a　hotel。



Slowly　the　sun　descends；　and　behind　us　the　granites　of　the　town…mummy

seem　to　burn　more　and　more。　It　is　true　that　a　slight　shadow　of　a

warmer　tint；　an　amaranth　violet；　begins　to　encroach　upon　the　lower

parts；　spreading　along　the　avenues　and　over　the　open　spaces。　But

everything　that　rises　into　the　skythe　friezes　of　the　temples；　the

capitals　of　the　columns；　the　sharp　points　of　the　obelisksare　still

red　as　glowing　embers。　These　all　become　imbued　with　light　and　continue

to　glow　and　shed　a　rosy　illumination　until　the　end　of　the　twilight。



It　is　a　glorious　hour；　even　for　the　old　dust　of　Egypt；　which　fills　the

air　eternally；　without　detracting　at　all　from　its　wonderful　clearness。

It　savours　of　spices；　of　the　Bedouin；　of　the　bitumen　of　the

sarcophagus。　And　here　now　it　is　playing　the　role　of　those　powders　of

different　shades　of　gold　which　the　Japanese　use　for　the　backgrounds　of

their　lacquered　landscapes。　It　reveals　itself　everywhere；　close　to　and

on　the　horizon；　modifying　at　its　pleasure　the　colour　of　things；　and

giving　them　a　kind　of　metallic　lustre。　The　phantasy　of　its　changes　is

unimaginable。　Even　in　the　distances　of　the　countryside；　it　is　busy

indicating　by　little　trailing　clouds　of　gold　the　smallest　pathways

traversed　by　the　herds。



And　now　the　disc　of　the　God　of　Thebes　has　disappeared　behind　the

Libyan　mountains；　after　changing　its　light　from　red　to　yellow　and　from


yellow　to　green。



And　thereupon　the　tourists；　judging　that　the　display　is　over　for　the

night；　commence　to　descend　and　make　ready　for　departure。　Some　in

carriages；　others　on　donkeys；　they　go　to　recruit　themselves　with　the

electricity　and　elegance　of　Luxor；　the　neighbouring　town　（wines　and

spirits　are　paid　for　as　extras；　and　we　dress　for　dinner）。　And　the　dust

condescends　to　mark　their　exodus　also　by　a　last　cloud　of　gold　beneath

the　palm…trees　of　the　road。



An　immediate　solemnity　succeeds　to　their　departure。　Above　the　mud

houses　of　the　fellah　villages　rise　slender　columns　of　smoke；　which　are

of　a　periwinkle…blue　in　the　midst　of　the　still　yellow　atmosphere。　They

tell　of　the　humble　life　of　these　little　homesteads；　subsisting　here；

where　in　the　backward　of　the　ages　were　so　many　palaces　and　splendours。



And　the　first　bayings　of　the　watchdogs　announce　already　the　vague

uneasiness　of　the　evenings　around　the　ruins。　There　is　no　one　now

within　the　mummy…to